Mixer and conveyer



Oct. 15, 1929 P. THoMsbN MIXER AND CONVEYER Filed Aug. 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l gm/vents; PETE]? haw-r15 El T'L Oct. 15, 1929. P. THOMSON MIXER AND CONVEYER Filed Aug. 16, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllll" atbozweqQ Patented Oct. 15, 1929 UNITED STATES PETER THOMSON, OF WILMINGTON, IDIIJLAITAREv MIXER AND CONVEYER Application filed August 16, 1926, Serial No. 129,548.

This invention relates to an improved mixer and conveyer, for mixing, hydrating, and conveying comminuted dry solids, from one location to another location; the improved device being used more particularly in connection with building construction.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved mixer and conveyer, particularly well adapted to be used in connection with plastering during the construction of buildings, for the purpose of efiecting the mixing and conveying materials, such as cement, lime, sand, and the like, in the proper proportions, from one location, to a remote location where the same are desired to be deposited in properly mixed proportions.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an efficient method for mixing and conveying as well as otherwise treating comminuted dry solids.

Other objects, and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the apparatus for mixing, hydrating, and conveying the materials in question.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 1-4 of Figure 3.

111 the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of this invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved apparatus, which may comprise a housing or casing B, having a mechanical conveyer C movably J mounted therein for positively feeding the materials which are fed into the housing B, to a screening device D. Pneumatic means 111 is provided for forcing the feed of the comminuted dry solids into a flexible tubular conveyer F, for depositing them in a nozzle G where they may behydrated and fed to the with the walls of the housing body 10. The

feed hopper or funnel 12 provides a feed compartment 17 which communicates at its restricted end with the compartment 11, and into which hopper or funnel the materials are adapted to be deposited in the proper proportions, where they may be picked up by the mechanical conveyor C and carried along to the screening mechanism D to be subsequently mentioned.

Novel means is provided for regulating the proportions in which the materials may be fed into the hopper compartment 17 and carried away by the conveyer C. This means consists in the adjustable placement of spaced partitions 19 and 20 in the compartment 17 of the hopper 12, transversely from-the frontwall 13 to the rear wall '14. As a means of retaining these partitions or walls 19 and 20 in their adjustable relation, the front and rear walls 13 and let are grooved in their surfaces facing the compartment 11. Each of these Walls are provided with a vertical groove 25 along the central line of the walls 13 and 14, and at each side of the groove 25' a pair of other grooves 27 are provided. These groovesmay be provided with any other arrangement desired, and the grooves are placed so that when the walls 19 and 20 art in place, they will be substantially radially disposed with respect to the axis of rotation of the conveyer C, but not exactly truly radial with respect thereto.

In view of the adjustable positioning of the walls 19 and 20., the area of exposure of the 100 a conveyer mechanism G into any of the subdivided compartments between the partition walls 19 and 20 and the side walls and. 16, will be regulated so that the conveyer will take the proper proportion of the various materials. T e partition walls 19 and 20 at their lower edges may rest upon suitable shoulders 30 formed on the side walls 13 and 14 of the hopper construction 12, by terminating the grooves and .27 short of the conveyer compartment, as can readily be understood from Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

The placing of the partition walls in the hopper compartment 17 subdivides the hoptending supporting shaft 33, which at one end thereof may be provided with a suitable socket 34, for detachably receiving a connecting guide shaft which may bear within a suitable detachable bracket 36 carried at one end of the housing body 10. It is preferred that at'this end of the housing body '10, the compartment 11 be entirely open, and

closed b the bracket 36, which is in the nature 0 a detachable cap having bolt means 38 for detachable connection with a laterally extending flange 39 integral with the housing body 10, as is illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. The shaft 35 is adapted to bear in the detachable bracket 36, and in this cap 36 a roller hearing or anti-friction bearing 40 of-any approved type, may be mounted, for rotatably supporting the shaft 35 and the adjacent end of the conveyer C, as can readily be understood.

The shaft 35 extends longitudinally thru the compartment 11 as above mentioned, and

at the end opposite the guide shaft connection 35, said shaft 33 rotatably bears in a suitable socket 45 of a detachable cap 47, which is secured to the housing or casing B, as will be subsequently mentioned.

QReferring further to the conveyer C, the same includes a spiral blade 48 immediately below the ho per 10, provided with widely spaced convo utions, to provide a pair of recesses 49 which immediately face the subdivisions of the hopper compartment 17, to receive the comminuted materials which are fed in dry form into the hopper. Immediately forwardly of the spiral blade 48 is a spiral blade 59 the convolutions 60 of which are spaced closer together than the convolutions of the first spiral blade 48, and which provide a spiral recess about the blade 59, which under ordinary circumstances can only convey a smaller quantity of the materials than the spiral blade 48. The pitch of the convolutions of the blade 59 is preferably less than the convolutions of the blade 48, to slow up the feed of comminuted materials as they are deposited from the convolutions of the blade 48 between the convolutions of the blade 59, and for a purpose which will be subsequently mentioned. Forwardly of the blade 59 other spaced spiral blades 63 and 64 are mounted for rotation with the shaft 33; the convolutions of these blades 63 and 64 being preferably of the same pitch and spaced relation as the convolutions of the blade 59 above mentioned. Between the blades 59 and 63, as also between the blades 63 and (34, spaces 66 occur, wherein the comminuted materials have an opportunity to pack, for the purpose of enabling a better feed of the materials in a more positive control thereof, and also for the purpose of preventing back flow of air from the pneumatic means E which is adapted to feed the comminuted materials into the tubular conveyer F.

Referring further to the screening means D, the housing body 10 at the forward end thereof is provided with -an enlargement 70, having a compartment 71 therein wherein a cylindrical screen 72 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 33. At the front end of the housing enlargement 70, the compartment 71 is entirely open and closed by the detachable cap 47 above mentioned, bolted at 72 in place to receive the forward end of the shaft 33 in a rotatable relation therein. This cap 47 has a detachable plug 74 centrally therein as a means of sealing the socket 45.

The screen member 72 is of the cylindrical rotatable type, having the cylindrical mesh screen thereabout supported upon the front and rear spiders 79 and 80. These spiders 79 and 80 each include a hub portion 81 rotatably mounted on the shaft 33, and from which radially extending arms 82 extend, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, having an annular ring 84 at the outer ends thereof upon which the screening material is mounted. The spider 79 may be supported immediately at the front end of the conveyer blade 64, in close facing relation with the compartment 11 of the body 10, so that materials forced along by the blade 64 will be deposited in the interior of the screen 72, thru the openings between the arms 82 of the spider 79. The other screen spider 80 is immediately adjacent the cap 45, so that the comminuted materials and the other foreign particles cannot be forced out thru the openings between the spider arms of the spider 80, and all materials which are to be pneumatically conveyed must pass thru the screen 72 and fall into a space below the screen member 72.

Referring to the pneumatic means E, an air pressure line 86 has a connection in the top wall of the enlargement 70, to direct a flow of com ressed air or other pressure medium direct y thru the screen 72, to force the comminuted dry materials thru the screen, in so far as the are able to escape thru the mesh thereof. hat ingredients are of too large size remain in the screen, and may be removed therefrom by removal of the cap 47, from time to time. Thus, the screen D may effectively control the size of the particles which enter thecompartment 85 below the screen, and in this manner the pneumatic conveyance of the materials thru the conveying tube F is accurately regulated, and too large articles cannot enter the conveyer tube F w ere the same would ordinarily prove an obstruction to the quick passage of the materials therethrough.

At the lower end of the enlargement 7 0 of the housing B, a horizontal conduit 90 is provided, having a passageway 91 therethrough horizontally disposed and of course communicating with the lower compartment portion 85.

The pneumatic means E further consists in the provision of an air pressure line 92 supported by a depending wall 93, which forms part of the enlargement 70 of the housing B;

the air pressure line 92 being provided with a nozzle 94 entering the compartment portion 85, having a forward restricted opening facing directly in alignment with the passageway 91, and being disposed below the screen 72, for forcing the materials as they drop from the screen 72 into the passageway 91.

The flexible tubular conveyer F is clamped at 97 on the forward end of the conduit 90, and may be of any length desired, to convey the comminuted dry materials to the desired location remote from the housing B.

The nozzle G may include a body 100, of tubular formation, having a passageway 101 which receives the dry materials from the conveyer tube F. This tubular body at the forward end thereof is provided with a bulb enlargement 102, forwardly provided with an internally screw threaded opening 103 in alignment with the passageway 101, the enlargement 102 providing a water receiving compartment 104 therein, and the tube 100 being extended into the co1npartment 104.- at 105, and there being provided with a tapered outer edge 106 converging forwardly towards the opening 103.

A nozzle extension 107 is detachably supported in the opening 103 and being provided with a passageway 108 adapted to receive the dry materials from the passageway 101. This nozzle extension 107 is provided with a rearwardly tapered socket 110 therein, rearwardly diverging for cooperative conformity with be obvious.

the forwardly tapered edge 106 of the nozzle portion the edges and 106 being movable with respect to each other to regulate the communication of the passageway 108 with the water compartment 104. Upon the enlargement 102 a transversely extending water inlet is provided. 1 i

The housing B may be supported by suitable-front and rear standards 116 and 117, of any approved character.

From the foregoing description of the apparatus it is believed that the operation will The dry solids in comminutc form are fed into the hopper onto the conveyer screw C where they are carried forwardly quickly by the blade portions 48, but are slowed up,as the blade portion 59 grip the same, and they are allowed to pack in the spaces 66 between the blades 59, 63 and 64:, to prevent the back pressure from the pneumatic means E to enter the housing body 10, as is readily apparent. This packing of the commlnute dry materialsin the body 10, enables a better grip of the blades thereon to provide a positive feed, and the materials are fed directly to the screen 72 where the air blast from the line 86 blows thru the screen to force the particles of proper size into the compartment 85, from whence they are picked up by the blast from the air line 92 and forced thru the tubular conveyer F into the nozzle construction where the comminuted dry solids are hydrated and deposited thru the nozzle extension passageway 108 to the desired location.

Various changes in the steps of the method of conveying, mixing, and hydrating materials, as well as changes in the shape, size, and proportion of parts may be made to the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of conveying and mixing loose materials consisting placing the different loose materials together in a suitable receptacle, feeding the materials along the receptacle, screening and mixing the materials as they are being fed, forcing a blast of air thru the materials as they are being screened, and subsequently pneumatically conveying the materials to a desired location.

2. The herein described process of mixing and conveying loose materials which consists in feeding of a plurality of loose 1naterials into a receiver, mechanically conveying the loose materials into the receiver at an initial speed, further mechanically conveying the loose materials thru the receiver at reduced speed in order to permit the loose materials to pack in the rceiver intermediate the first and second speeds of travel there through, and subsequently pneumatically conveying the loose materials from the receiver.

3. The herein described process of mixing and conveying loose materials which con-- sists in feeding of a plurality of loose materials into a receiver, mechanically conveying the loose materials thru the receiver at an initial speed, further mechanically conveying the loose materials thru the receiver at a reduced speed in order to enable the loose materials to pack in the receiver intermediate the first and second speeds of travel therethrough, screening the materials as they are fed from the receiver, and pneumatically conveying the screened materials to a desired-location.

4. The herein described process of mixing and conveying loose materials which consists in feeding of a plurality of loose materials into a receiver, mechanically conveying the loose materials into the receiver at an initial speed, further mechanically conveying the loose materials thru the receiver at reduced speed in order to enable the loose materials to pack in the receiver intermediate the first and second speeds of travel therethrough, screening the materials, and pneumatically forcing a blast of air thru the materials as they are being screened, and subsequently pneumatically conveying the screened materials to a desired location.

5. Apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials comprising a receptacle having a body with a compartment therein, means for feeding materials into the receptacle compartment, mechanical means in the compartment for forcing the loose materials therealong, a movable reticulated screen onto which the loose materials are dumped as they are deposited by said mechanical means, and means for pneumatically receiving, mixing and conveying the loose materials as they are sifted from the screen.

6. Apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials comprising a receptacle having a body with a compartment therein, means for feeding materials into the receptacle compartment, mechanical means in the compartment for forcing the loose materials therealong, a movable screen onto which the loose materials are dumped as they are de posited by said mechanical means, means for pneumatically conveying the loose materials as they are free from the screen to a de sired location, and means for forcing a blast of air thru the loose materials as they are deposited on said movable screen.

7. In apparatus for conveying and mixing,

loose materials the combination of a receptacle having a compartment therein, means for feeding loose materials into the receptacle compartment, mechanical conveyer means operating in said receptacle compartment to force the loose materials therealong, a rotatable reticulating screen onto which the materials are deposited by said mechanical conveyer means, and means for pneumatically conveying in one body all of the materials which are screened from said rotatable screen.

8. In apparatus for conveying and mixing loose materials the combination of a receptacle having a compartment therein, means for feeding loose materials into the receptacle compartment, mechanical conveyer means operating in said receptacle compartment to force the loose materials therealong, a rotatable screen onto which the materials are deposited by said mechanical conveyer means, means for pneumatically conveying the materials which are screened from said rotatable screen, and means for forcing a blast of air thru said rotating screen.

9. In apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials the combination of an elongated receptacle having a compartment therein, hopper means for feeding materials into one end of said compartment, an elongated spiral screw rotatably mounted in said compartment including blade portions relatively spaced at the facing ends thereof and being of different pitches to feed the loose materials along the housing compartment at varying rates of speed, andmeans for receiving and pneumatically conveying the loose materials after they are fed by said screw.

10. In apparatus for conveying and mixing loose materials the combination of a housing having an elongated compartment therein, means for feeding loose materials into the compartment, an elongated feed screw rotatably mounted in said housing compartment including spaced spiral blade portions there along in a non-connected and spaced relation, and means for receiving and pneumatically conveying the loose materials from the housing compartment to a desired location.

11. In apparatus for conveying and mixing loose materials the combination of a housing including an elongated compartment, means for feeding loose materials into the compartment at one end thereof, an elongated feed screw rotatabl mounted snugly in said compartment including'a spiral blade portion adapted to receive the loose materials directly at the point where they are fed into said compartment for feeding the loose materials along the compartment at an initial rate of speed, said spiral screw including a spiral blade portion forwardly of the first mentioned spiral blade ortion which feeds the materials along saic housing compartment at a slower rate of speed to enable a more thorough packing of the materials in the .housing compartment as they are fed thereii i;

veying of loose materials the combination of an elongated housing having an elongated compartment therein, a shaft rotatably extending thru said housing compartment, a spiral blade rigid on said shaft at one end of the compartment, means for feeding loose materials directly onto said spiral blade last mentioned, and a second spiral blade fixed on said shaft in the housing compartment in entirely spaced relation with respect to the first mentioned blade.

13. In apparatus for the mixing and conveying ofloose materials the combination of an elongated housing having an elongated compartment therein, a shaft rotatably extending thru said shaft compartment, a spiral blade rigid on said shaft on one end of the compartment, means for feeding loose mate rials directly onto said spiral blade last mentioned, a second spiral blade fixed on said shaft in the housing compartment in entirely spaced relation with respect to the first mentioned blade, the spiral blade last mentioned having the convolutions thereof closer spaced than the convolutions of the blade first mentioned.

14. In apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials the combination of a housing having a compartment therein, means for feeding loose materials into the compartment, a spiral feed screw rotatably mounted in said compartment for conveying the loose materials therealong, a rotatable screen into which" the materials are deposited by said spiral screw, means for feeding a blast of air thru the screen as it is rotating, a flexible tubular conveyer, and pneumatic means for forcing the loose materials which have sifted from the screen into said flexible tubular conveyer.

15. Apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials comprising a receptacle, means for feeding materials along the receptacle, screen means to screen the materials, means forcing a blast of air thru the screen means to augment the screening, and means to force a blast of air transversely to and in the path of the first mentioned blast of air at the opposite side of the screen means therefrom.-

16. Apparatus for mixing and conveying loose materials comprising a rotatable screen, means for feeding comminuted dry materials into the rotating screen, means for forcing a blast of air thru the screen in a direction normal to the axis of rotation thereof,

and means forcing a blast of air transversely to and in the path of the first mentioned blast of air atthe opposite side of the rotatable screen, to convey materials passing thru the screen to a desired location.

PETER THOMSON. 

